Circular strike installation



May 24, 1960 F. J. RUSSELL CIRCULAR STRIKE INSTALLATION Filed Jan. 28, 1958 INVENTOR. t}. RUSSELL flrraezvsys- 2,937,898 CIRCULAR STRIKE INSTALLATION Fred J. Russell, 3800 Don Felipe Drive, Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Jan. 28, 1958, Set. No. 711,615

3 Claims. or. 292-340 The invention relates to latches, locks and lock hardware and has particular reference to a strike plate for use with such hardware against whichthe customary latch bolt strikes and engages to hold a door in latched position.

One of the elements which has been a factor of some consequence in the installation of door hardware has been the shape of strike plates which has necessitated careful chiseling to provide square and rectangular apertures so that the strike plate of corresponding configuration can be made to fit snugly and neatly in the aperture. In fine residential and commercial building construction, the fitting of strike plates of the character mentioned takes on the character of fine cabinet work which is often in practice somewhat beyond the ability of an average workman called upon to perform such tasks. 1

Moreover, the accelerated employment of power tools showing a door and door frame in closed position an illustrating the mounting and operation of the circular strike installation. j v Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the'circular strike plate installation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the recess in the frame ready for reception of a circular strike plate. 1

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing two successive steps in forming the recess for-reception of the circular strike plate.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing amodified method for the'preparation of a recess for're* ception of a circular strike plate. j

In an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings there is shown a door frame 10 upon which is mounted a door stop 11 spaced from an edge 12 of the door frame so as to leave an area therebetween bounded at one vertical side by the edge '12 and on an opposite vertical side by a face 13 of the door stop.

A door 14 is shown having'an outer face 15 and an inner face 16 which is mountedin a conventional fashion to swing within the frame 10. Outer and inner knobs 17 and 18, respectively, are mounted in -a conventional fashion for manipulation of a latch bolt 19 which is contained in a conventional latch bolt casing 20 in the door 14.

has taught that where hardware is such'that it can be mounted in openingsprepared' by drilling tools; appreciable time can besaved. v I

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved circularstrike-installation which involves both a method of mounting a strike plate on a door frame by elfective, rapid'means and a properly designed strike plate of inexpensive construction which is especially well adapted to employmentwith the method.

Another object of the 'inventionis to provide a new and improved circular strike mounting whereby the frame of a door can be prepared for reception of astrike plate neatly and accurately by relatively simple means and tools which will result in a very workman-like installation even though performed by a person not especially well skilled in cabinet work.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved circular strike installation which incorporates a specially formed strike plate so constructed that it can be accurately, neatly and effectively mounted in and over recesses which have been formed by circularly revolving tools, the strike plate being moreover such that once installed, the installation is.sturdy and rugged to a material degree and thereby capable of withstanding-frequent and prolonged jarring such as would normally occur with the opening and closing of a door.

method for achieving the same whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal view partially broken away 1 diameter.

In the frame, as shown to good advantage in Figures 1 and 3,- there is provided a clearance hole 23 having a diameter substantially less than the distance between the edge 12 of the frame and the face 13 of the stop. The depth of the clearance hole23 issufiiciently great so that a bottom 24 of the hole permits full extension of the latch bolt 19.

A second hole 25 of relativelylarger diameter overlies the location of the'clearance hole 23.v This hole 25 which is of relatively greater diameter may'beconcentric with respect to the hole 23 in the form ofinvention illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5.. It will be noted particularly that the diameter of the hole 25 is greater than-the distance between the edge 12 of the frame and the face 13 of the stop 12. Moreover, bly locating a center point 26 more nearly the edge 12 than the face 13, the wall of the' hole 25 will break through the edge12 as shown to good advantage in Figure 3 where the outermost portion of the path of a tool (not shown) for makingthe'hole 25 is shown by a broken arcuate line 27. Breakingthrough the edge 12 in this fashion provides a shallow opening identified by an upper edge 28 and a lower edge 29, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. I a

In boring holes 23 and 25 in the event separate bits or drills may be employed, it is advantageous to first'bore the hole 25 which is of relatively large diameter and thereafter bore the hole23 'which is of relatively smaller centric, the bit or drill in each instance will be centered at the same center point 26. Where the centers are concentric, it may on occasions be advantageous to make -use of a step drill of conventionalform (not shown) thereby to bore both of the holes in a single operation and by use of a single tool. The method employing a step drill may be more particularly effective where material comp-rising the frame 10 is something other than wood.

On some occassions it may be desirable not 'to havc the relatively larger hole 25 concentric withithe relatively smaller hole 23. Under such circumstances It is most advantageous to first bore the hole 25 about its center 30. Thereafter the hole 23 can be bored about its center 31 which may be offset a slight distance from the center 30. By drilling the hole 25 first, a portion of the ma- Patented May 24, 1960 In the event that the holes are to be conenemas 3 terial of the frame will be left remaining in order to effectively center the tool for boring the relatively smaller hole 23. In this lastdescribed method as in the order of procedure first indicated, the location of the center 30 of the hole 25 will be more nearly the edge 12 of the frame than the face 13 of the stop.

Regardless of the manner or order of boring of the holes 25 and 23, the mounting of a circular strike plate 32 is substantially the same.

M The strike plate itself comprises a frame-engaging portion 33 which is flat and which is provided with a perimeter 34 which is a partial circle. At one side of the frame-engaging portion, namely, a side 35, is a strike lip 36 which is composed of the same sheet material and is bent over as indicated in Figure l in a substantially conventionalfashion. The frame-engaging portion, however, is made to extend toward the strike lip a distance such that the line 37 where the bend takes place extends outwardly beyond the edge 12 of the door frame 10. In conformance with the circular patterning there is provided in the frame-engaging portion a recess 38 for reception of the latch bolt 19 which has a straight edge 39 and a semi-circular edge 40.

For fastening the strike plate to the door frame there are provided screws 41 which extend through appropriate countersunk screw holes in the strike plate, details of which have been omitted. It is significant, however, that the screws are located on opposite sides of a diametric line 42 through the center of the frame-engaging portion 33 in a direction parallel to the edge 12. The screws may be considered as lying upon an axis 43 which lies oblique with respect to the diametric line 42. By mounting the screws in this relationship, the tendency of the stn'keplate to tilt as a result of having the lip struck repeatedly by the latch bolt is substantially minimized.

The installation herein described will, when employed with a strike plate having a substantially circular frameengaging portion, make possible the mounting of such a strike plate on a door frame ready for installation with extreme rapidity and result in an appropriate saving in time and money to the ultimate consumer. As is apparent, by making use of perfectly circular mounting holes, modern power tools can be used to the greatest possible advantage.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A circular strike mounting comprising a door frame having a straight edge on one side, a door stop on the frame and an area of predetermined width between the stop and the opposite edge of the frame, a relatively shallow hole of diameter between opposite curved portions greater than the width of said area bored into the frame at a location intersecting said opposite edge and forming a recess in said opposite edge of length less than the diameter of said shallow hole, said opposite curved portion having points of intersection with said edge at oblique angles, a relatively deep clearance hole concentric with said shallow hole, said clearance hole having a diameter smaller than said width and being located entirely within said area, and an apertured strike plate ofsheet metal of uniform thickness and having a frame-engaging portion of substantially the same diameter as said shallow hole, said frame-engaging portion being positioned in said shallow hole, a recess in the strike plate concentric with both said holes and having a straight side parallel with said straight edge, and a portion of said strike plate partially overlying said clearance hole and lying partially in said recess, the said rim portion having an extension disposed in an oblique direction protruding beyond said opposite edge and forming in strike lip.

2. A circular strike mounting comprising a door frame, a door stop on the frame and an area of predetermined width between the stop and the opposite edge of the frame, a relatively shallow hole of diameter greater than the width of said area bored into the frame at a location intersecting said opposite edge, and forming a recess in said opposite edge having a length less than the diameter of said shallow hole, said hole having a continuously curved wall of uniform radius with ends terminating at opposite ends of said recess, a relatively deep clearance hole concentric with said shallow hole, said clearance hole having a diameter smaller than said width and being located entirely within said area, and an apertured strike plate having a frame-engaging portion of substantially the same curvature and diameter as said shallow hole, a straight edge on said frame engaging portion coincident with said recess, said frame-engaging portion being positioned in said shallow hole and a rim portion joined to the frame engaging portion at said straight edge, said rim portion having a location protruding beyond said opposite edge, a strike lip on said rim portion and screw holes for reception of screws lying on a centering line oblique relative to a diametric line drawn through said strike plate in a direction parallel to said opposite edge.

3. In a door frame having a stop thereon and an edge on the opposite side of said frame spaced from said stop, a method of outfitting said door frame for operation with a latch bolt comprising simultaneously boring concentric holes in the frame between said stop and said edge, making one of said holes relatively shallow and of relatively larger diameter and making the other of said holes relatively deep and of smaller diameter, locating the centers of said holes near enough to said edge so that said one hole when bored cuts through said edge forming an opening and avoids cutting said stop and so that said other hole is spaced inwardly from said edge leaving a portion of the frame between the hole and said edge, forming a strike plate of sheet material with a curved perimeter of the same curvature and depth as said one hole and forming on one side of the plate a strike plate having a junction with the plate of the same length as said recess and tilting said lip from the plane of said plate, forming a latch bolt aperture in said strike plate concentric with the curved perimeter and of diameter smaller than said perimeter, forming one straight side on said latch bolt aperture parallel to the junction of said lip with said plate, placing said plate in said relatively shallow hole so that the lip extends through the recess and a portion of the plate adjacent said one straight side overlies a part of said other hole, and anchoring said plate to the frame.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,553,531 Hofiman Sept. 15, 1925 2,112,909 Jackson Apr. 5, 1938 2,272,241 Fendring Feb. 10, 1942 2,448,293 Berini Aug. 31, 1948 2,656,205 Fletcher Oct. 20, 1953 

